A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the coast of Kamchatka on July 30, 2025, making it the strongest in the region since 1952.
Initially measured at 8.0, it was later upgraded by the USGS. The quake’s epicenter was 119–136 km east-southeast
of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky at a depth of ~20 km, along the Kuril–Kamchatka arc—part of the Pacific Ring of Fire.
Tsunamis up to 4 m hit Severo-Kurilsk, flooding coastal areas and forcing 2,000 evacuations. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky
experienced shaking, minor injuries, power outages, and the collapse of a kindergarten wall. Sakhalin Island also issued evacuations.
Tsunami warnings extended across the Pacific. In Japan, up to 1.9 million evacuated, and waves up to 50 cm reached Hokkaido.
Fukushima nuclear plant safely evacuated staff. Hawaii saw 4-ft waves; Alaska and the U.S. West Coast issued
advisories, with small waves observed and forecasts predicting up to 1.7 m in places like Crescent City, California.
Chile, Peru, Mexico, Taiwan, and other Pacific nations issued alerts, though minimal wave impacts were reported. India activated emergency support lines.
Powerful aftershocks (M6.9, M6.3) struck the region, with more expected. The quake is among the top ten strongest ever recorded globally.
